Tuesday, August 5, 2014

How to Trouble Shoot Contractured Hands

We're pleased to feature this post, written with help from Restorative Medical, Inc, a long established partner of MMAR Medical.

ForRadial Drift you have two
options:

1. You can order the hand splint appropriate for the patient
and add UD Wrist Pads (the ladies that make them call them "pillows")
which you will attach to the wrist straps on the lateral - little finger side
with the black surface next to the patients skin. It simply Velcro’s
around the strap at the place that does the most good. I put them where
they come just above the plastic of the splint and they provide the
"push" required to realign the Radial Drift condition. $3 to
add the "pillow"

2. The other option is to
order the hand splint appropriate for the patient and add Radial Drift
Strapping. This provides you with the "pillow" but also
means you will receive your desired splint with the straps sewn on going in
different directions to realign the wrist and hand. Basically, if a body part
is going the wrong way, put a strap over it to tug it in the opposite
direction. Multiple straps that do the zigzag type of realignment are
very effective. $5 to make the splint with Radial Drift Strapping

In contrast, for Ulnar Driftyou have two options.

1. You can order the hand splint appropriate
for the patient and add UD Wrist Pads (the ladies that make them call them
"pillows") which you will attach to the wrist straps on the medial -
thumb side with the black surface next to the patients skin. It simply Velcro’s
around the strap at the place that does the most good. I put them where
they come just above the plastic of the splint and they provide the
"push" required to realign the UD condition. $3 to add the
"pillow"

2. The other option is to
order the hand splint appropriate for the patient and add UD Strapping.
This provides you with the "pillow" but also means you will
receive your desired splint with the straps sewn on going in different
directions to realign the wrist and hand. If a body part is going the
wrong way, put a strap over it to tug it in the opposite direction.
Multiple straps that do the zigzag type of realignment are very
effective. $5 to make the splint with UD Strapping

In addition - for many hands, there is a need for UD Finger
Separators. These will realign whatever is going on with the fingers -
whether overlapping, Ulnar Drift like with Rheumatoid Arthritis, or extensor
tone/hyper extension. Remove the blue 3 bump finger separators and
replace them with these black longer silky straps that have Velcro tabs at the
end of each to separate and realign each finger. They are long
enough to comfortably, gradually bring fingers toward and to normal alignment.
Velcro them to either side of the hand splint to tug fingers in the desired
direction.

For Hyperextension of
fingers, the Dorsal Interphalangeal Flexion Assistance strap (2" wide
strap that has elastic properties, that goes over the fingers and Velcro’s
under each side of the hand splint. This can go over the blue strap of the hand
splint, or can go directly over the fingers --- MAKE SURE there is no pressure
or abrasion if you put it directly over the fingers.

Please see this RMI/MMAR video for options that can be used
with our prefabricated hand splints that provide even more ways to custom fit
for individual patient’s needs.